Adventure of Shadows
by BlackFox12
Summary: Calista is a witch and a fan of Fire Emblem. She finds a spell to send herself into the game and save her favourite character. However, she accidentally sends her best friend into the game instead; and Lindley is completely unprepared
1. Chapter 1

**Adventure of Shadows**

**Chapter One**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from the game Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Calista is a witch and a fan of Fire Emblem. She finds a spell to send herself into the game and save her favourite character. However, she accidentally sends her best friend into the game instead; and Lindley is completely unprepared

**Warning(s):** Strong violence; original characters; spoilers for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon; minor spoilers for the sequel (book two) to the game; possibly some slight inconsistencies; no actual spanking in this chapter, but there will be later

**Timeline:** Set after the events of book two of the game. Wolf has fought Marth and company, and has been left for dead. Marth is Emperor of Archanea and is married to Shiida

**Author's Note:** Oh, and in case anyone's wondering? Calista's meant to be a weird, obsessed fan girl

* * *

Lindley closed the living room door behind her and stared at Calista, spread out on the floor with books, papers, and black candles strewn around her. "What are you _doing_?" she demanded. "Are you crazy?!"

Calista looked up at Lindley, who nearly took a step back at the wildness she could see in her friend's eyes. "I told you I was going to find a spell to help me go into the game and save Wolf." She nodded to the copy of the game that she had set within a circle of candles. "I can open the gateway, go through, and bring Wolf back here before he even gets wounded."

"Wolf is a character from a _game_." Lindley flopped down onto the floor opposite Calista. "He's make-believe; he's just a character. He's not _real_. And it's not healthy to be so obsessed with a character." She started collecting the papers up, and grabbed the game. "Come on. Let's just put all of this away, and you can go online and read fan fiction about Wolf."

"No way!" Calista lunged and grabbed some of the papers back. She then started chanting some weird words which sounded like fake Latin. Her voice rose to a crescendo, until she was almost screeching.

"For goodness' sake, stop it!" Lindley grabbed at the sheet of paper, dropping the papers and the game as she did so. And as the game fell onto the floor, an intensely bright light came out of it.

Calista had to close her eyes, but the light still seemed to pierce through her eyelids. It seemed like an age before it died away, and when she opened her eyes again, she had to blink several times before she could see properly again – and it was only then that she realised what had gone wrong. "Oops..."

Lindley was gone.

* * *

When Lindley opened her eyes, she realised that she was outside – and appeared to be in a field of some kind, though she couldn't see the edge of it. She sighed heavily and pushed herself into a sitting position, looking around and trying to work out exactly where Calista had sent her. She'd seen enough of her friend's powers – even if they didn't work as planned – to know that Calista had _some_ talent as a witch.

And this was yet another spell which hadn't worked out the way it was supposed to.

Lindley stood up and brushed at her trousers, trying to get any grass stains off. After another look round, she realised that she was definitely not going to be able to find her way back home easily, and took her mobile out of her pocket. She waved it through the air, and wasn't too surprised to see there wasn't any signal. There weren't any houses around that she could see, and what phone company would set up phone lines where there weren't any houses.

"So what was your plan, huh, Calista?" Lindley muttered. "I hope you've got some way of getting me _out_ of this place. Stupid idiot friend who can't be bothered to learn proper spells!" She continued in this vein for a few moments, ranting and raving at the sky and wishing that her friend was there to _hear_ her rant. That, of course, changed to her wishing that there was _someone_ around who she knew.

It was the sound of galloping hooves which pulled Lindley out of her thoughts. Someone was coming! It was about time.

Lindley turned round and, as the rider came towards her, started jumping up and down. "Hey! Wait!"

The rider adjusted his course, and started for Lindley. It wasn't until he was really close that she realised he wasn't going to stop. She threw herself to one side, and the rider galloped past, almost brushing against her. Lindley avoided getting hit by the horse's flanks only because she landed heavily on the ground; and then she just lay there with the wind knocked out of her, before climbing to her feet again.

It took Lindley a moment or two to realise that the rider was turning round, holding what looked like a big stick with the point aimed at her. All she could do was stand there, frozen – her mouth wide open – as her mind attempted to process the fact that someone was trying to kill her.

And then something went whistling by her ear and thudded into the rider's chest. As the man toppled sideways, the horse reared up, hooves flailing wildly.

Moving purely on autopilot, Lindley once again flung herself to the side, landing on the ground for the third time in less than an hour. She winced at the bruises she was beginning to feel – but the pain was quickly forgotten when her vision refocused.

Lindley had never seen a dead body before. She didn't know any seventeen-year-old who had. But the man had an arrow sticking out of his chest, and there was blood... so much blood. Lindley had time to notice the awful whiteness of his skin before she scrambled away and started retching.

"Are you hurt?"

Lindley jerked backwards, away from the strange man who loomed over her. Underneath the terror and disgust, some part of her that was still sane noticed the little details; such as the dyed purple hair which fell in a curtain over his face, obscuring one eye and looking exactly like the images of Wolf Calista had insisted on showing her. She also noticed that he was holding a hand out to her... and that blood was pooling around the fingers of his other hand, which he held clasped to his side.

"Are you hurt?" The man took a step nearer to her as he repeated his question.

Lindley scrambled back, watching the man with wide eyes. "Please... go away!" She couldn't see a bow near the man, but he was the only one who could have shot the person on the horse. And why was she in the middle of this? There was a dead man next to her, and the person who'd killed him was standing in front of her, and probably about to kill her as well. She whimpered, and moved back even further.

The man collapsed onto the ground, like his legs wouldn't support him any longer. His mouth opened in a silent gasp of pain, but he kept his hand firmly pressed against his side.

When Lindley pushed herself to her feet, she felt a little better; but she avoided looking at the dead body. Even thinking about it made her feel sick, and so she attempted to push it right out of her mind, as she struggled to decide what to do next. "I have to go home," she whispered. "I want to go home..."

"The king I served is dead now." The man looked up at her. "I fought against the man who is king now. If I survive these wounds, I'll take you as far as his city – but then I will have to leave you."

"I don't want to go anywhere with you. You..." Lindley found that she couldn't say the word 'killed', so she just jerked her thumb in the direction of the man's body. Even though she could see that the man in front of her was hardly dangerous in the state he was in now, a part of her still thought that she shouldn't let her guard down.

The man looked up at her, still managing to focus despite the obvious pain that showed on his face. "If I hadn't killed him, he would have killed you." He spoke with a little pause between each word, and Lindley could see that he looked extremely pale. "You're alone, and you're unarmed. Unless you're a mage, you'll need protection." As he spoke, his voice got quieter and quieter.

Lindley found herself looking for the horse. Despite its momentary panic when it lost its rider, the horse now seemed to have calmed down; and Lindley could see that there were saddlebags attached to it. After another glance at the man – who didn't seem about to move – she stepped over to the horse.

"Calm the horse down first. The animals are well-trained, but still get scared easily."

"I know! I _do_ understand that!" Lindley snapped without thinking, and then flinched when the horse flicked an ear. "Oops." She rubbed her palms against her trousers – trying to get rid of the sweat on her hands – and then reached out to let the horse sniff her hand.

Even though the horse didn't look very impressed, it still deigned to allow Lindley to stroke its nose. Keeping one hand on the horse, she reached her other hand round to undo one of the saddlebags, and then stepped backwards and over to the man. She still wasn't sure she felt safe around him... but he _had_ saved her life, and was now in danger of bleeding to death.

Lindley bit her lip against the thought, and attempted to push it out of her mind, even though her flesh crawled at the smell of blood from the dead body. Purposely looking away from the former rider – though it didn't help her to stop picturing the body – she knelt in front of the wounded man and opened the bag. "What's your name?" she asked, a little hesitantly.

"Wolf. My name is Wolf." The man's eyes were closed, and when Lindley reached out to touch his hand, she found that his skin was clammy. "There's a water flask... in my belt. You will... have to..." Once again, his voice faded away to silence; and he slumped onto his side on the ground.

Lindley's fingers were trembling so much, she found it difficult to get the bandages out of the bag. Abandoning it for the moment, she worked the water flask out of Wolf's belt and pulled the stopper out.

After a moment or two of trying to work out whether it would be best to pull his shirt away from the wound or remove the clothing entirely, Lindley decided that it would be best not to struggle to pull Wolf's shirt right off. Holding the flask in one hand – it was heavy, but not unbearably so – she took hold of the hem of his shirt, and pulled it up and off the wound, wincing at the way the fabric was almost stuck to the wound.

Wolf didn't stir, even when Lindley poured some water onto the wound. She put the stopper into the flask again and put it to one side, and then wondered if she should wipe the wound with something. But she didn't have any clean tissues to hand; and the thought of touching the blood more than she needed to made her feel sick. As it was, she had to keep swallowing as she finally got a long bandage out of the bag, and gingerly wrapped it around his waist, tight over the wound. "Couldn't think to bring safety pins, could you?" she muttered, tying the bandage into as secure a knot as she could.

Once she was finished, Lindley pulled the shirt back down, wincing a little at the bloodstains on it. She then stood up and looked around, trying to decide whether or not she should try to find her own way back home. Staying away from Wolf seemed like a good idea, and she had just bandaged him up. However, he _was_ unconscious; and if she'd managed to get transported somewhere where there was a war going on, it would make sense to stay with someone who knew what was going on.

And she wasn't going to let herself wonder why – if there was a war going on – Wolf and the other man hadn't been using guns or any weapons like that.

Lindley noticed that there was a bow and a quiver of arrows on the ground a short distance behind Wolf. Even though her first inclination was to leave them where they were – he _did_ have a sword in his belt – it would make her feel better to have it close by. So she picked up the bow and quiver and carried them back over, placing them between herself and Wolf before she sat down and tried to work out just how she was going to get back home.

Stupid Calista and her stupid ideas.

* * *

Calista slowly picked up the game, biting her lip as her mind struggled to process the fact that she'd just managed to send her best friend into the game in her place. She wasn't stupid; she knew exactly what she'd done. All she could do now was hope that she could set up a counter-spell from outside of the game.

At least the spell she'd used would have made sure that Lindley was able to understand anyone she encountered. And the spell _should_ have deposited her near to where Wolf had fallen... but there was no way Calista could guess what might have gone wrong because of Lindley's interference.

After clearing up the candles and papers – her parents definitely wouldn't appreciate signs of the path their daughter was taking – Calista sat down on the couch and put the Fire Emblem game into her Nintendo DS.

Instead of the proper game screen showing up, however, the title screen showed the words: _Fire Emblem: Adventure of Shadows_.

"Wait... that's not supposed to happen!" Calista stared at the game that was... completely different to the one that was supposed to be on screen. The spell was just supposed to send her into the game; there shouldn't have been any danger. It shouldn't have started a whole new adventure.

Hesitantly, Calista tapped the stylus against New Game. And then, without any introduction at all, she found herself staring at the screen image of a field. There were two people in the middle of the field – one lying down and one sitting on the ground – and a horse behind them. Half-afraid of what she might find, Calista touched the stylus tip to the person sitting, only to be confronted with a computer graphic image of Lindley and a brief explanation of her statistics – including the fact that she was on level one. Tapping the stylus on the other figure revealed that it was Wolf – and his health points were extremely low.

"What's going on? This isn't how it's supposed to be!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Adventure of Shadows**

**Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from the game Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Calista is a witch and a fan of Fire Emblem. She finds a spell to send herself into the game and save her favourite character. However, she accidentally sends her best friend into the game instead; and Lindley is completely unprepared

**Warning(s):** Strong violence; original characters; spoilers for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon; minor spoilers for the sequel (book two) to the game; possibly some slight inconsistencies; threat of spanking

**Timeline:** Set after the events of book two of the game. Wolf has fought Marth and company, and has been left for dead. Marth is Emperor of Archanea and is married to Shiida

* * *

As Wolf stirred, he became aware of a blinding pain in his side. For a few moments, he just lay there, panting; still with his eyes closed. He must have passed out after shooting the arrow which had taken the last of his strength. And if it weren't for the amount of pain he was in, he would think that he was dead now.

Wolf must have made some kind of movement, because he felt hands on his shoulders, pushing him down. "You should rest some more," the woman said. "There isn't anyone else around."

Even wounded, Wolf was strong enough to sit up and push the woman's hands away from him. He was a warrior, and he'd had worse pain. He couldn't just pretend it wasn't there... but he could ignore it, and push the pain away so that it wasn't at the front of his mind. "We can't stay here."

"But you're hurt..."

"I'll be better moving." Wolf stood up, and briefly placed a hand to his side. "But before we go, you may have to check that the bandage hasn't bled through. If it needs to be changed, you'll have to do so."

The woman nodded slowly, and then stepped over to him, bringing the saddlebag with her. She crouched down in front of him, and carefully lifted the hem of his shirt. "My name's Lindley," she said, as she handed Wolf the shirt to hold. She probed the wound for a few moments, and then stood up again. "It hasn't bled through; but you probably shouldn't be walking anywhere."

"I plan on us using the horse... not walking." Wolf noticed that, although she _sounded_ relatively calm, Lindley's eyes were flicking about constantly. Her face was pale, and she looked like she was about to be sick any moment. Wolf recognised the look; it was one he'd seen on the faces of his men the first time they'd seen a dead body. "Why don't you see to the horse?" he suggested, keeping his tone gentle. He wasn't good at giving comfort... but he knew that it would be easier for her to think about something other than the dead body; at least for a while.

Did he imagine the relief that flashed through her eyes? Unlikely. Wolf waited until Lindley was with the horse, and then he stepped over to the body of the dead man. It would have been easier if they had a mage with them, and then he could have burned the remains. As it was, he was going to have to make do with pulling the body into the woods as far back as he could, and hoping that he could cover their tracks enough so as to prevent anyone from following them.

Wolf supposed they had been lucky so far to only face one enemy, but it wasn't likely to last. The only reason he'd been able to kill that one man was because he'd been so intent on attacking Lindley, he hadn't looked around for any other enemies. Wolf couldn't chance that happening again.

It was as Wolf was starting to pull the man between some trees that he realised the problem. Pain sliced through his side, bad enough that he could almost imagine he was being wounded all over again. And even though he set his jaw and tried to ignore the pain, he could feel a dampness soaking through his shirt. By the time the man's body was completely hidden, Wolf felt faint and more than a little sick.

"You're bleeding through," Lindley said, staring at him when he came out of the trees again. She then headed back over to the saddlebag and took a new bandage out. "You... really need to have a clean shirt."

"It's not really necessary while travelling." Wolf sat down on the ground – careful to avoid the blood – and raised his shirt, wincing.

"Maybe it's something you can think about for next time," Lindley suggested, crouching down next to him as far away from the blood as she could get. "Next time, you should let me help you." She carefully unwrapped the bandage. "I should have thought to offer, but I..." Her voice trailed off, and she swallowed.

"You've never seen a dead body before," Wolf finished, looking down at her dark head as she worked.

Lindley nodded. "I really am going to kill Calista this time," she muttered, wrapping the new bandage around his waist and pulling it tight before tying it into a secure knot.

"Calista is responsible for you being here? Did she send you?" Wolf had seen warp spells used before, but he didn't know the range of them. In fact, he didn't know much about magic at all. He was a soldier; and though he was willing to work with mages, he couldn't say he understood them.

"To be honest, I don't know what happened," Lindley said, standing up. "I don't even know where I am."

"You're in Altea." Wolf stood up as he spoke, letting his shirt fall down to cover the bandage again. "I'll take you to the emperor. He'll be able to find a way of getting you back to your home – wherever it is."

For several moments, Lindley just stared at hm. "Can you repeat which country we're in?" she finally asked in quite a strange voice.

"Altea." Wolf frowned, eyeing the woman. Surely she must have had _some_ idea – at least – of where she might be. But the woman seemed shocked – and more than that; disbelieving.

"Oh. I guess Nintendo used the name of a real country," Lindley said, her face clearing. "Not one that I've heard of, but it's not like I make a point of looking at maps. Do you happen to know how far away England is?"

She was speaking his language, and yet Wolf was still confused. The strange words she spoke held no meaning for him. He would guess that the second word was a place – perhaps where she was from – but it wasn't one he recognised. "I don't," he replied, walking over to the horse. "I'll help you onto the horse, and then get up in front of you."

"What about other countries?" Lindley asked, a note of desperation in her voice. "Like... the USA? Israel? Sweden? Ireland? Scotland? Hungary... Africa...?" Her voice trailed off, and she stared at him. "No... it's not possible."

"We can't stay here. Come on." Wolf gestured towards the horse.

Lindley shook her head as she began to back away. "No." Her eyes were wide with panic, and she looked about to bolt.

Briefly, Wolf seriously considered just letting her go. His side throbbed every time he took a breath, and he needed to find someplace safe to rest. But Lindley had helped him; he couldn't just abandon her. With that thought in mind, he took a step closer to the woman. "You can either get on the horse _without_ causing trouble; or you can get on and find sitting to be _very_ uncomfortable." His hands twitched towards his sword belt.

Lindley stared at him. "But..." She swallowed. "It's not like you'll have the strength to do something like that. You're wounded, remember?" The panic was still there, but Wolf could see that she was slowly starting to calm down.

"If you don't want to find out whether I have the strength for it or not, then I'd suggest you get on the horse." Wolf spoke calmly and with no emotion, but his eyes continually flickered around, searching for any signs of enemies.

Lindley hesitated, but then walked over to him. "I can get up by myself," she said, and put one foot in the stirrup closest to her, before hauling herself up and onto the horse.

The horse pawed the ground, but stopped after a moment. After giving the animal a chance to get used to having one rider on its back, Wolf swung himself up onto the mount's back. Ignoring the stabbing pain, he took tight hold of the reins. "Put your arms around my waist and hold on," he directed.

* * *

"Calista? Is Lindley here?" Calista's mother put her head round the living room door.

Calista jumped, and quickly covered the DS screen. "She hasn't been here." It wasn't really a lie – but how could she explain to her mum what had happened? "Isn't she at home?"

"No. Her parents said she left in quite a hurry, and seemed to be going somewhere important. But they need to talk to her about something, which seems to be quite important. If she does contact you, let me and her parents know."

"Okay." Calista waited until her mother had left the room before she uncovered the screen again – and noticed that things had moved on.

The horse – carrying the two figures which signified Wolf and Lindley – was moving steadily across the screen. During the conversation between her friend and the warrior, Calista had had time to come to terms with what was happening; and now she was determined to do what she could to help Lindley come home.

But as Calista moved the stylus over the screen, she noticed that there was a problem. Not too far away from the direction the horse was travelling in was a group of enemy soldiers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Adventure of Shadows**

**Chapter Three**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from the game Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Calista is a witch and a fan of Fire Emblem. She finds a spell to send herself into the game and save her favourite character. However, she accidentally sends her best friend into the game instead; and Lindley is completely unprepared

**Warning(s):** Strong violence; original characters; spoilers for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon; minor spoilers for the sequel (book two) to the game; possibly some slight inconsistencies; threat of spanking

**Timeline:** Set after the events of book two of the game. Wolf has fought Marth and company, and has been left for dead. Marth is Emperor of Archanea and is married to Shiida

* * *

It didn't take long for Lindley to work out that, although she'd had horse riding lessons in the past, it couldn't prepare her for the reality of having to cling to someone on the same horse as her. Even holding onto Wolf didn't help; she still felt like she was going to slide backwards. But while that might be quite humiliating, Lindley was pretty sure that she would be all right. She had already decided that – since it wasn't possible to go into a game – she was dreaming. It was obvious. Calista might have _some_ magical powers, but Lindley had seen nothing to suggest that her friend had the sort of power to send someone into a make-believe world.

So obviously, that light had knocked her out, and she was now experiencing an extremely vivid dream. In fact, that was probably what the spell had been for. It had just knocked out the wrong person.

And Lindley was ignoring the holes in _that_ theory.

Lindley was pulled out of her thoughts when the horse veered sharply to the side. Lindley gasped, and her hands tightened on Wolf's waist. "What's happening?" she demanded, struggling to keep the panic down. This place might only be a dream... but it certainly felt real enough.

"Be quiet," Wolf warned, sounding pained. "And don't hold onto me so tightly. I won't let you fall."

"It's not like you'll be able to see me if I do." But Lindley loosened her hold, guiltily remembering that Wolf was wounded – even if he _was_ a product of a dream. "What happened?"

"The horse keeps trying to head in a different direction," Wolf replied. "I don't know what's wrong with it, but the way we're headed will take a shorter amount of time to get to the castle. It concerns me that the horse may lead us to enemies." It sounded like he was frowning.

Lindley blinked, and looked down at the horse. Was the animal really trying to get back to the enemies who had previously kept it? There really wasn't any other reason for the horse to be disobeying the directions of the person sitting on its back. Unless...

No. Following _that_ thought to its conclusion would be a really bad idea. Lindley really didn't want to let herself think about the fact that this might not be a dream after all. But maybe her thought could still be right. It didn't have to be Calista controlling the horse by playing the game; it could just as easily be the horse sensing the presence of enemies and wanting to get as far away from them as possible.

"I think that we should go where the horse wants to."

Wolf half-turned his head to look at her. "Do you really think so? Can you talk to the horse?"

"People can do that here?" Lindley quickly pushed that question aside. She couldn't start thinking of this as being real; otherwise, she'd lose her mind. "No, it's not like that. I just think that we should perhaps trust the horse. Maybe it's trying to avoid other people, and that's why it's trying to head in a different direction."

"I hope you're right," Wolf said, turning his attention back to the horse. "If you hadn't helped me, I wouldn't be listening to you now."

Lindley didn't say anything, but she really hoped she was right as well. It wasn't just that she didn't really want Wolf to be angry with her – she also didn't particularly want them to run into any enemies. Even though she couldn't get hurt in a dream, she still didn't want something to go wrong.

The horse started heading in the direction it had originally veered off to. Lindley held onto Wolf's waist, making sure she wasn't touching the area where the wound was. "Do you know how long it might take for us to get to the castle?" Since the spell was only supposed to help Calista make sure Wolf was safe, it stood to reason that she'd wake up once they got to the castle.

"About three or four miles," Wolf answered. "It's not that far. All being well, we should get there by nightfall – as long as we don't have to fight any enemies. Unless you're a mage, I don't think either of us will be able to fight."

"I'm not a mage." Lindley held onto Wolf and hoped that – whether it was the horse doing it or Calista – they were being led in the right direction.

* * *

Calista let out a deep breath as the horse finally started following the direction of the stylus. She hadn't even realised she'd been holding her breath as the conversation between Wolf and Lindley occurred. She just wished that the screen would show their expressions as they talked; but it was enough just to know that her friend was safe.

How could her spell have gone so wrong?

A trickle of sweat ran down Calista's forehead, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. When she'd played Shadow Dragon, she'd grown attached to the characters; but even then, it hadn't been so bad when one of them died. Now that it was her friend she was having to guide through dangerous territory, things were different.

"Come on," Calista muttered, tracing the path with the stylus. All she could do was hope that Lindley wasn't freaking out too much; but she could only see what they said, and not what they were feeling. "I wonder if pausing the game will have any effect on how it progresses?" she mused, leaning back in her chair. More to the point... Wolf had assumed they would reach the castle by nightfall, and it had only just turned four. Was time going to pass in the same way in reality as in the game?

How could Calista make sure things were going all right when she couldn't be with the DS all the time? She could just imagine how her parents would react to her bringing the console to the food table with her. But Wolf was a warrior; and even hurt, perhaps he would still be able to defend them both if need be.

Calista frowned, lower lip caught between her teeth, as she continued to guide the horse and its riders, giving a wide berth around any areas where there were enemies. As she moved the stylus, she found herself wondering about what would happen when Lindley and Wolf got to the castle. Marth would hardly be overjoyed to have someone arrive who'd fought against him and was basically a traitor.

Somehow, Calista had the feeling that Wolf was going to pay a heavy price for his decision to take Lindley to the Emperor.


	4. Chapter 4

**Adventure of Shadows**

**Chapter Four**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from the game Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Calista is a witch and a fan of Fire Emblem. She finds a spell to send herself into the game and save her favourite character. However, she accidentally sends her best friend into the game instead; and Lindley is completely unprepared

**Warning(s):** Strong violence; original characters; spoilers for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon; minor spoilers for the sequel (book two) to the game; possibly some slight inconsistencies; actual spanking

**Timeline:** Set after the events of book two of the game. Wolf has fought Marth and company, and has been left for dead. Marth is Emperor of Archanea and is married to Shiida

* * *

As Wolf guided the horse towards the castle gates, he had to check over his shoulder to make sure that Lindley was still there; she was being so quiet. And he was looking for something else to focus on rather than what might happen when he went into the castle.

"Are we there now?" Lindley asked in a voice that sounded dazed, as if she'd just woken up.

Wolf inclined his head slightly, and then got down from the horse. "Make sure you let me speak to the Emperor. I doubt that he'll be happy to see me, and it may be that I'll have to leave you at the castle and then go away."

"But you're hurt," Lindley protested, getting down from the horse as well. "They can't just make you leave."

Wolf didn't say anything as he turned to watch the people entering through the castle gates, but he couldn't help thinking that Lindley was clearly naive. She didn't seem to understand how the world worked, and that was an innocence which could cost her greatly.

"Are we going inside?" Lindley asked, pulling Wolf away from his thoughts. "I know I bandaged that wound, but the ride can't have helped it."

Wolf could feel that the wound had started bleeding through. He didn't say anything, but put his hand over his side to hide the stain. He was beginning to feel quite weak and sick; and despite his words to Lindley, he really hoped that he could at least get some healing before he left again. "Let's go, then," he said out loud.

When Wolf reached for the horse's reins, Lindley shook her head and kept hold of them. "You can't strain yourself more. As long as the horse doesn't panic or bolt, I should be fine."

Wolf eyed Lindley for several long moments, wondering at the panic she had clearly felt before... and why she seemed so calm now. But it wasn't something he could really focus on right now. He didn't really want to just collapse outside the castle gates. He was going to have to keep on his feet; at least until he could get some help for Lindley. When what had happened finally sank in, he was sure she would lose control.

Without a word, Wolf started walking towards the gates, aware of Lindley following him. He wasn't surprised to notice that the guards were stopping people and asking what their business was. It hadn't been that long since Marth had become Emperor, and it was more than likely that he would get assassination attempts.

At least none of the guards were those who Wolf had fought alongside or against. If they had been, things could have gone wrong before they'd even got inside the castle.

However, the guard was clearly suffering from boredom or tiredness. He waved Wolf and Lindley through without even bothering to hear Wolf's answers to his questions.

"The security of the guards here is terrible," Wolf muttered as soon as they were safely through the gates. "Whoever's in charge should be whipped."

"Maybe that's something you could offer to do," Lindley – who had been quiet during the exchange with the guard – suggested. "Being in charge of security, I mean."

"Maybe." Wolf wasn't convinced, though. After having just escaped death, the thought of walking straight to someone he'd tried to kill was abhorrent to him. But Lindley _had_ saved his life – and he had to at least try to help her get back to her country. "Let's just get you into the castle and to the Emperor, all right?"

"All right," Lindley agreed.

* * *

Once again, Wolf found himself unhappy with the security surrounding the castle. It was apparently a day for anyone to come in and have their problems sorted out; and though that made things easier for Wolf and Lindley, it wasn't going to be enough to protect Marth. Wolf had to bite his tongue so as not to voice his criticisms.

A stable boy took the horse from Lindley just before they entered the castle building itself, and Wolf led the way through the crowd of people heading towards the hall. He didn't look behind him to check that Lindley was following; but he knew that she was still there. He could normally tell when someone was behind him.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to find my way around this place," Lindley said quietly, coming up to walk next to Wolf. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her glance towards his side, which he was still holding onto. "You're bleeding again. I can see it through your fingers."

Wolf opened his mouth to reply – to tell Lindley that he was fine – but his vision started to blacken. His legs simply folded under him, and the last thing he was aware of was falling against Lindley and feeling her arms go around him in an attempt to break his fall.

* * *

When Wolf finally regained consciousness, the first thing he realised was that he was in a bed and covered with a blanket. He could hear two people talking, and opened his eyes to narrow slits, seeing that Lindley was in the room and talking to someone he recognised as a healer. He closed his eyes again and sighed. It looked like his hopes of not drawing attention to himself were in vain.

"Hey... are you awake?" Lindley asked.

Wolf opened his eyes again and pushed himself into a sitting position. He put a hand to his side, and realised that there was no pain. Obviously, while he was unconscious, he'd been healed. "What happened?"

"Well, after you fainted, I asked where the nearest healer was – and had help getting you here." Lindley frowned. "Umm... But I couldn't stop the – er – Emperor from finding out that you were here. The healer has to let him know now that you've woken up." She shrugged. "Sorry."

"I guess you couldn't do anything else." Wolf glanced at the door, noticing that the healer had already left. He wasn't sure he had the energy to deal with Marth right now, but he didn't blame Lindley for not refusing to do as asked. If he was going to die, though, he hoped that it would be relatively quick. Though if they were going to execute him anyway, why would he get healed?

"Do you really think the people here will be able to help me get back to my home?" Lindley asked hesitantly.

Wolf shrugged. "If the Emperor doesn't already know someone able to warp you that distance, he'll be able to find one." The panic was back on Lindley's face – he noticed – but she seemed to be struggling to keep it under control. Why was it coming to the front now? But before Wolf could ask her about it, the door opened to admit Marth. Automatically, Wolf got to his feet – mainly out of respect. He bowed his head to Marth, ready for the order for his execution.

Instead, the Emperor asked a question. "How did you survive?"

"I came across a woman who was being attacked, Sire," Wolf answered, still not looking directly at Marth. "I was able to kill the man with an arrow, and the lady came to my aid. When I learned that she was not of Altea, I decided to bring her here with the hope that you might find someone who could help her get back to her own country." He paused, and then continued, "I don't ask for my own life. I raised my sword against you; and for that, I deserve the death of a traitor."

"If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have had you healed."

"Sire?" Wolf found that he had to use more energy to keep his feet. He'd been so sure that he was going to die at the castle... now he didn't know _what_ to do.

"But even though you're not going to be executed, you _are_ going to be punished," Marth added. He glanced over his shoulder at the still-open door and, though he didn't say anything, Cain came through.

"But... you can't punish him!" Lindley protested. "He wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for me!"

"Forty lashes," Marth said to Cain, indicating Wolf. "Take him to the cells for the punishment, and then bring him back here to recover once it's done."

"Yes, Sire." Cain bowed to Marth, and then took hold of Wolf's arm to lead him out of the room.

* * *

The cells were dimly lit with torches placed in the wall. Not saying anything, Cain led Wolf to a birching block at the far end of the wall. "Lower your trousers and place yourself on the block," he directed, selecting a strap from the wall.

Wolf hesitated briefly, but then slowly pushed his trousers down and knelt on the block. A part of him had been convinced that the punishment would be delivered in public, and he was rather glad that he would be spared that humiliation, at least. Still, forty lashes would be painful enough; and he was acutely aware of just how exposed he was.

"Forty," Cain said, resting the cold leather against Wolf's bottom. He took it away and – a moment later – brought the strap down incredibly hard.

Wolf gasped as he felt the line of fire across the very top of his bottom. He was barely given a chance to catch his breath as the second lash landed directly below the first. He grunted, and clenched his hands into fists; determined to take the punishment without making a further sound.

For several moments, all Wolf was aware of was blazing pain. He lost count of the seemingly never-ending lashes after about fifteen, and it didn't take long for the tears to start falling. And yet... even as the tears fell, he began to feel better.

And then it was over.


	5. Chapter 5

**Adventure of Shadows**

**Chapter Five**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from the game Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Calista is a witch and a fan of Fire Emblem. She finds a spell to send herself into the game and save her favourite character. However, she accidentally sends her best friend into the game instead; and Lindley is completely unprepared

**Warning(s):** Strong violence; original characters; spoilers for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon; minor spoilers for the sequel (book two) to the game; possibly some slight inconsistencies

**Timeline:** Set after the events of book two of the game. Wolf has fought Marth and company, and has been left for dead. Marth is Emperor of Archanea and is married to Shiida

* * *

Calista stared in shock at the events unfolding on the DS screen, her eyes wide. "Hey, wait! You can't do that!" Despite her words, though, she found herself unable to look away. It must have been similar to that whole train wreck thing, where something was so horrible you couldn't help but watch.

Or something like that. Calista had never really got the saying.

Biting her lip, Calista finally pulled the stylus away from the punishment and moved up to the room where Lindley had been left with Marth.

"Why did you do that?" It was Lindley outlined as the one speaking – and though her face on the image looked calm, Calista could almost see the frown on her friend's face. "He was wounded, and needs rest."

The focus changed to Marth, who completely ignored Lindley's comments. "Where are you from?"

"Somewhere very far away."

"That's for sure," Calista muttered. If only there was some way of communicating with Lindley... her friend was probably experiencing some major culture shock. The only consolation Calista could come up with was that clearly, time moved differently in the game. Since Lindley was part of the real world, it probably meant that she would feel things at different times to the rest of the characters in the game. Hopefully, she wouldn't even have to worry about that time of the month. Calista was sure she'd be able to find a way of getting Lindley out of the game before that even became a problem.

All Calista had to do was watch and make sure that Lindley didn't start exhibiting any signs of becoming a part of the world of Fire Emblem. Or something like that.

"Calista! It's time for dinner!"

Calista glanced down at her DS, and then plugged it in so that it would stay on. She didn't _think_ that anything was going to happen – but she would prefer to be on the safe side.

Calista walked out of the living room. Behind her, the DS screen changed; moving – as if of its own accord – to a village not far from the castle. There were three people standing outside the village. A shadow crept from the edge of the screen, engulfing the village and killing each person as it touched them.

* * *

It was slowly starting to occur to Lindley that she wasn't going to wake up any time soon – if ever. The thought that this _wasn't_ just a dream after all was a very frightening one.

And now, Lindley was beginning to wish that she hadn't drunk all that soda before going to Calista's house. While she'd been convinced that it was all a dream, she hadn't really needed the toilet – and there was no way she would have embarrassed herself by asking Wolf to stop the horse so that she could find a convenient bush to squat behind. How was she supposed to ask Marth about that, though? Somehow, it didn't seem to be the sort of thing someone would mention to an emperor.

Luckily, Marth seemed to be able to read minds – or perhaps he just assumed that Lindley was going to need to go soon. Either way, he spoke. "There's a room down the corridor you can use to relieve yourself. If you come back here afterwards, I will send a servant with food for you."

Lindley nodded, then – realising that she probably thought she was being quite rude – quickly said, "Thank you." To be perfectly honest, she just wanted him to leave so that she could lose it in peace. Even if someone listened outside the door, at least she'd have the illusion of privacy. The problem was, she couldn't think of how to ask for that privacy. Somehow, she didn't think that Marth would respond particularly well to her asking him to leave so that she could have a breakdown.

"I have more things to attend to," Marth said before Lindley could speak. "If you need anything else, speak to Cain when he returns."

"Thank you." Lindley attempted a quick curtsey – which probably didn't look very graceful; but Marth seemed satisfied as he left the room.

Almost immediately, Lindley had to put a hand to her chest. She sank to the floor, feeling like her legs wouldn't hold her up any longer. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp for breath as her mind struggled to comprehend what she was only just starting to realise.

She was stuck here? She wasn't going to get home? Calista had clearly managed to send her into the world of Fire Emblem. It wasn't a dream. No matter how much Lindley's mind attempted to shy away from the fact, she could no longer deny that this was real.

Lindley curled up with her head in her arms, her breath coming in short, sharp pants. She was finally starting to understand just how serious her situation was; but all she could do was cling to the hope that there _had_ to be someone who could help her get back to her world. There was magic in Fire Emblem, after all.

And Lindley found her mind shying away from the possibility that – just maybe – Earth was too far away for the mages here to reach with their warp spells. She couldn't entertain the thought of failure; she had to believe that she would be able to go home – and hopefully before anyone missed her.

Lindley looked up as the door opened; but found herself unable to stand up, even as Wolf walked in – a little stiff, but otherwise appearing to be unharmed – followed by Cain.

Even though Wolf had to be worn out from what had happened, he still stepped over to Lindley and crouched down by her side. "Lindley? What's wrong?"

Unable to help herself, Lindley felt the tears start as she stared hopelessly at Wolf. "I want to go home."


	6. Chapter 6

**Adventure of Shadows**

**Chapter Six**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from the game Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Calista is a witch and a fan of Fire Emblem. She finds a spell to send herself into the game and save her favourite character. However, she accidentally sends her best friend into the game instead; and Lindley is completely unprepared

**Warning(s):** Strong violence; original characters; spoilers for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon; minor spoilers for the sequel (book two) to the game; possibly some slight inconsistencies; slightly disturbing image in this chapter

**Timeline:** Set after the events of book two of the game. Wolf has fought Marth and company, and has been left for dead. Marth is Emperor of Archanea and is married to Shiida

* * *

Wolf stared at Lindley, not having any idea of what to say or do to help her. He wasn't used to dealing with emotional people; and not to mention, he was still quite sore from his punishment. If he was honest, he would have really liked to continue resting. But he was reluctant to just leave Lindley like this.

"Where are you from?" Cain asked, taking a step towards them. "There are several mages with the power to warp people over short distances."

Lindley just shook her head, pressing the heel of her hand against her forehead. "You're going to need a mage able to warp people over _very_ long distances. I don't think you'll even believe me if I tell you where I'm from."

"We can't help you if you won't tell us anything," Cain said.

"I know." Lindley took a deep breath and pushed herself to her feet. "I have to... go." She walked over to the door, opened it, and then stepped out into the hallway, letting the door close behind her.

Wolf straightened and sat down wearily on the bed, ignoring the twinge of pain. He'd been hurt worse in battle, and he appreciated how merciful Marth had been with the punishment. For his treason, Wolf should have been executed. He was grateful that he hadn't been, but he wasn't sure why Marth had chosen to let him live.

Right now, Wolf found himself feeling almost a little uncomfortable around Cain. They'd never really spoken during Wolf's time of travelling with Marth and his followers; and after that, of course, they'd been on opposing sides.

"You should rest if you need to," Cain said. "I can have a servant prepare Lindley's quarters and ensure that she doesn't return and disturb you."

"I would appreciate that, thank you," Wolf replied, letting his eyes close. He was concerned about Lindley, though, and he spoke without opening his eyes. "She saw a man die... It might have affected her badly. I don't think she's seen someone die before." Briefly, he wondered where she really was from... What place could be so far away that she was worried they wouldn't believe her?

"I'll make sure she isn't alone. Rest well."

"Thank you," Wolf repeated. He kept his eyes closed as he heard Cain leave the room and close the door quietly behind him. Then, finally, Wolf felt sleep overtake him.

* * *

"_Wolf? Wolf, are you there?"_

_Wolf opened his eyes and looked around – though he briefly wondered if he was blind, since he still couldn't see anything. After a moment or two, though, Wolf's eyes began to grow used to the dark. Or maybe it also had something to do with the light that that was gradually appearing some distance away._

_The light coalesced into the form of Hardin, and Wolf stumbled back a few paces. "You... You're dead!" His mind could barely comprehend what was in front of his eyes. Wolf might not know much about magic, but one thing he _did_ know was that one should never touch the dead; even in dreams. And so he continued to back away, even as Hardin approached._

_And when Hardin was close enough to touch Wolf, his face became a skull with maggots crawling from his eyes._

* * *

Calista couldn't help feeling restless and continually fidgeting in her seat all through dinner. Even though she knew that she couldn't very well let her parents have even an inkling of what was going on, she was still finding it difficult to keep control of herself.

"Got somewhere important with your game?" Calista's father asked with a smile, clearly noticing her preoccupation.

Calista nodded, eagerly seizing on that and the excuse it gave her. "I'm at a really important stage in the game."

"Well, since we've finished eating, why don't you go and finish that part?" her father suggested. "And then, once you've done that, you can do the washing up."

"Thanks!" Calista scrambled down from the table and headed into the living room, paying no attention to what her mother was saying – which was probably some variation of the fact that Calista shouldn't be so obsessed with a video game.

But then, it wasn't like Calista had inherited her powers from either of her parents. Like with twins, it tended to skip a generation. It was Calista's grandmother on her father's side who had the power.

In the living room, Calista sat down on the sofa and picked up the DS. As soon as she looked at the screen, however, she couldn't help gasping at the images shown.

Even though it was computer animated, Wolf's dream sequence still freaked Calista right out. Fortunately, it ended right after Hardin's face became a skull; and then it returned to the room Lindley had been in that Wolf was now asleep in.

Calista moved the stylus until she found Lindley out in the corridor with Cain; and then she started tapping the image of her friend with the stylus.


	7. Chapter 7

**Adventure of Shadows**

**Chapter Seven**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from the game Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Calista is a witch and a fan of Fire Emblem. She finds a spell to send herself into the game and save her favourite character. However, she accidentally sends her best friend into the game instead; and Lindley is completely unprepared

**Warning(s):** Strong violence; original characters; spoilers for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon; minor spoilers for the sequel (book two) to the game; possibly some slight inconsistencies

**Timeline:** Set after the events of book two of the game. Wolf has fought Marth and company, and has been left for dead. Marth is Emperor of Archanea and is married to Shiida

* * *

When Lindley left the room, she was slightly worried that she wouldn't be able to find the toilet. On Earth, it wouldn't be a problem – but somehow, she doubted that a castle in a medieval world would have signs telling her where to find the toilet.

As it was, however, the toilet was surprisingly easy to find. There was a rather distinctive smell coming from the door. Not exactly unpleasant... just noticeable. And since her mind was full of horror stories from history about toilet facilities, Lindley was pleasantly surprised by what she found.

It was very much like the portaloos Lindley had used when camping in the past – only much more primitive. The hole was set in a wooden seat, and looked like it had very rough edges. There was a pile of what looked like thin pieces of bark and pressed leaves next to the hole.

Well... This was going to be interesting.

* * *

By the time Lindley had finished, she'd found a whole new reason to curse Calista. How would her friend have coped with this world? Or would she have got out before it became necessary to use facilities taken for granted in the modern world?

Not for the first time, Lindley wished that she hadn't gone round Calista's house at all. The thought of Calista being trapped in the game instead didn't seem so scary – at least for a moment. When Lindley allowed herself to dwell on that thought for longer, she realised that she still would have tried to stop her friend – even if she'd had an inkling that she would have ended up trading places with Calista.

Since she knew now that the person controlling Wolf's horse had probably been Calista – even though how she'd done it didn't make a lot of sense – Lindley wondered if her friend was watching her now. A small part of her wondered if Calista was watching her now – and if she felt guilty for what her friend was going through. "I hope you're working as fast as possible to get me out of here," Lindley muttered.

Deciding that she couldn't hide out in the toilet for the rest of the day, Lindley opened the door and walked out into the corridor.

Cain was standing just outside, almost as still as a statue. "Would you like me to take you to your room now?" he asked as Lindley walked out.

"Oh, can't I stay with Wolf?" Lindley asked before she thought about it.

Cain raised his eyebrows. "Are you his lady, then?"

"What?" Lindley flushed as she realised what Cain meant. "Ah... no, it's nothing like that. It's just that. It's just that I thought, since he's familiar..." Her voice trailed off, as she realised there was no way she could explain. "Never mind. Yes, I'd like to go to my room." What she really wanted was to curl up and go to sleep – so that when she woke up, all this would simply be a bad dream; even though she knew that the whole thing was terrifyingly real. Still, perhaps the spell would be broken if she slept. It was another faint hope; but one which Lindley clung onto.

Lindley twitched as she felt a strange sensation – almost as if someone had poked her in the back. When Lindley would have ignored it, the feeling came again and again.

"What's wrong?" Cain asked.

"I don't know." Abruptly, the sensation changed. Now, Lindley felt herself being pulled in the opposite direction. "I think there's somewhere I have to go." Or something she had to see.

Immediately, Cain drew his sword. He stepped forward and nudged Lindley behind him. "Can you direct me?" he asked without turning his head.

"I think so." Lindley felt herself being tugged again. "We have to go forward. I guess I'll know when we have to go in a different direction." As she followed Cain, she couldn't help wondering just what Calista was playing at.

* * *

Calista wondered briefly why it was that Lindley seemed to be the only one who responded to her – and then she remembered that Adventure of Shadows wasn't actually a game created by a company. She couldn't apply the normal rules to it; just about anything could happen.

Besides, when Calista had paused in her tapping to have a brief look around, she'd found a mage outside the castle. Chances were good that that mage had at least something to do with the dream Wolf had had, and she wanted to get Lindley and Cain outside before the mage ran off or called for reinforcements.

If only Calista could have found a way of telling Lindley that Cain might need more soldiers. At least the two of them were headed in the right direction, though. And Cain was standing protectively in front of Lindley with his sword drawn.

Wait... mages could attack from one space away. And Calista was pretty sure that Lindley wasn't aware of that particular perk. Damn.


	8. Chapter 8

**Adventure of Shadows**

**Chapter Eight**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from the game Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Calista is a witch and a fan of Fire Emblem. She finds a spell to send herself into the game and save her favourite character. However, she accidentally sends her best friend into the game instead; and Lindley is completely unprepared

**Warning(s):** Strong violence; original characters; spoilers for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon; minor spoilers for the sequel (book two) to the game; possibly some slight inconsistencies

**Timeline:** Set after the events of book two of the game. Wolf has fought Marth and company, and has been left for dead. Marth is Emperor of Archanea and is married to Shiida

* * *

Wolf came awake with a slight start, staring up at the ceiling. For several moments, he just lay there, confused about what had woken him.

There wasn't anyone else in the room; and as he lay there, Wolf didn't hear any more noises. He was about to go back to sleep, when it came again.

Something was tapping him.

Blinking, Wolf attempted to clear his mind of sleep. As he became more awake, the sensation faded as suddenly as it had come, leaving him unsure as to whether he'd actually felt anything or not.

But what if someone needed him?

With a grunt of effort, Wolf pushed himself up off the bed. He couldn't have been asleep for very long; but he felt his body responding without any reluctance, thanks to his years of rigorous training.

Wolf picked up his sword belt from where it had been removed for the healing. As he fastened it around his waist, he wondered if he needed to go to the armoury and get his weapons. But even as he thought that, he noticed his sword, bow, and arrows on the floor. For now, Wolf just picked up his sword and sheathed it into his belt. He then walked over to the door and opened it.

Even though Marth had forgiven his actions, Wolf still half-expected to find a guard outside his room. When there wasn't anyone there, he stepped out into the corridor to see Cain and Lindley disappearing round the far corner.

* * *

By the time Cain and Lindley got to the castle door, Wolf managed to catch up with them.

"You should be in bed – resting," Cain said when he saw Wolf.

Wolf shrugged. "I woke up and couldn't sleep again." It wasn't quite the truth – but Wolf still wasn't sure if he'd dreamt the tapping or not. "I assume something's happened." He looked between Cain and Lindley. "What is it?"

"All I know is that we need to go outside."

Wolf nodded slightly, and exchanged glances with Cain before speaking. "Perhaps you should wait inside the castle," he suggested to Lindley, remembering how she'd reacted when he'd killed the man threatening her.

Briefly, Lindley looked like she might agree. Then, she shook her head. "No... I don't know how to explain it – I don't even know what's happening myself – but I think I need to be around to direct you. Besides, it's not like I can't defend myself."

Wolf looked carefully at Lindley, but couldn't tell if she was lying or not. He wasn't sure that he could force her to stay inside the castle – he didn't know enough about her to guess how much of a fighter she might be.

Cain pulled a dagger from his belt and handed it to Lindley. "Make sure you stay behind me and Wolf if anything happens," he told her.

Lindley nodded, but stared at the dagger with eyes that looked a little too wide. Even though she looked like her thoughts were quite far away, however, she still followed Wolf and Cain out of the castle.

Outside, it was cold. Wolf shivered a little, but tried to ignore it. After a moment or two, his eyes grew used to the dark; enough so that he could dimly make out the surrounding area he had come through before.

With his eyes getting used to the dark, it took Wolf a moment or two to see the figure a short distance away from the castle. Was the person in a trance? That might explain why he or she hadn't reacted to their presence.

"Be careful," Cain said – a warning that didn't need to be spoken, since Wolf was well aware of what mages could do.

And then, the mage turned in their direction; and fire rained down towards them.

* * *

When Wolf joined Lindley and Cain at the castle door, Calista wondered if the mage had kept him from falling asleep. Certainly, his words seemed to imply that.

But if Wolf hadn't had much sleep at all, how was that going to affect him if it came to a fight? Calista could guide Lindley – or so it seemed – but it was clear that she couldn't control the characters of Fire Emblem, even though she could apparently push animals to go in the directions she wanted them to.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to her grandmother.

When Calista turned her attention back to the screen, her heart nearly skipped a beat. The screen was black; and for several moments, she thought she'd lost power.

However, the screen slowly lightened. Not by much, but enough for Calista to make out Wolf, Cain, Lindley, and the enemy mage.

Calista opened her mouth to call a warning as the mage cast – but closed it again, realising that they wouldn't be able to hear her anyway; and that would just bring her parents into the room. She touched the stylus to Lindley's figure, and drew a quick diagonal line. Lindley moved – and Calista silently apologised for making her friend stumble.

But at least it meant that she'd got Lindley to safety. And Cain and Wolf moved protectively in front of Lindley, even as a soldier ran to join the mage.

"Damnit," Calista muttered, wondering just why she hadn't noticed the soldier before. So long as no other enemies attacked, though, it shouldn't be a problem. She was sure that, between them, Wolf and Cain could handle two enemies.

As Calista watched, Cain went after the mage while Wolf attacked the soldier. She held her breath, and didn't release it until both had succeeded in taking away some of the enemy's hit points and had managed to dodge the counter strikes.

And then, it was the enemy's turn.

Calista swore – and then clapped her hand over her mouth – as the soldier went after Lindley. She was a little relieved when Lindley only lost a few life points – though that probably meant that she'd been wounded – but then, her eyes widened as she watched Wolf run over to Lindley and attack the soldier once more. _That_ wasn't how fighting was supposed to work in the world of Fire Emblem.

Wolf's face appeared as he spoke to Lindley: "I thought you said you know how to defend yourself."


	9. Chapter 9

**Adventure of Shadows**

**Chapter Nine**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from the game Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Calista is a witch and a fan of Fire Emblem. She finds a spell to send herself into the game and save her favourite character. However, she accidentally sends her best friend into the game instead; and Lindley is completely unprepared

**Warning(s):** Strong violence; original characters; spoilers for Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon; minor spoilers for the sequel (book two) to the game; possibly some slight inconsistencies; spanking

**Timeline:** Set after the events of book two of the game. Wolf has fought Marth and company, and has been left for dead. Marth is Emperor of Archanea and is married to Shiida

* * *

Lindley couldn't help flinching a little at the way Wolf looked at her right before he pushed her behind him. It wasn't really necessary, since Cain managed to easily kill the other man – or that was what Lindley thought, anyway. Not only was her arm bleeding from an admittedly rather shallow cut, she was also trying not to look at someone dying.

"We need to get to a healer," Wolf said, grabbing Lindley's arm and pressing down on the cut with his other hand, even as he spoke to Cain.

Lindley tried to pull her arm free of Wolf's grip; but when he glared at her, she subsided. "You can't blame me. I didn't know I was going to get hurt." She didn't like the way she sounded. Teenager she might be, but she didn't want to sound like a whiny one.

Wolf's glare intensified. "I can blame you for lying and claiming to be able to defend yourself when it was only luck that caused you not to be hurt any worse."

Biting her lip, Lindley did her best not to cry out. She had to wonder if the blade had hit a nerve, since it hurt so much more than the time she had accidentally cut her finger on a serrated knife.

Cain walked over to them, slashing his blade through the air before sheathing it. "I have to speak to the Emperor about this," he said to Wolf. "The healer who worked on you is three doors down from your room. Are you able to take her there?"

Lindley really wanted to object to being talked about like she wasn't there; but just as she opened her mouth, Wolf looked warningly at her. After a brief hesitation, Lindley closed her mouth again, deciding that arguing really wasn't worth it.

"If you need me at all, I'll be in the healer's room and then in my room with Lindley," Wolf said to Cain. "If there are any more enemies, I'll be awake and ready if it comes down to a fight." He frowned. "I think it's unlikely, though. It seems that the soldier was here to protect the mage for whatever he was here for."

"I realise that." Cain glanced around as he walked back into the castle.

"Come on." Holding his sword in his free hand, Wolf pulled Lindley into the castle, and didn't sheath his sword until the door was closed behind them. "Make sure you keep pressure on that cut," he told Lindley as he let go of her. "And until we've sorted out what's going on here, it really won't be a good idea for you to leave the castle alone."

Lindley bristled. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Don't argue with me." Wolf took a deep breath, as though attempting to calm himself down. "I'm the soldier here. If you could protect yourself, it would be different." As he spoke, he led the way to the healer's room, continually looking around as though he was expecting an enemy to try and attack them inside the castle. "Let's get you healed."

"And then what?" Lindley asked, half-afraid of the answer.

Wolf didn't reply. When they reached the healer's room, he knocked on the door and then took a step back.

Lindley wasn't quite sure if she should say something or not. Was Calista able to see what was going on? She kind of hoped not. She didn't really want her friend to feel guilty about all of this – even though it _was_ Calista's fault. Of course, she wasn't responsible for Lindley getting hurt... Lindley shouldn't have lied and said she'd be able to defend herself.

The door opened, to reveal the healer standing there. He looked at Lindley's arm and then took a step back. "Come in."

Lindley stepped through the door, aware of Wolf following her. "You know, you don't _have_ to come with me..." Her voice trailed off as Wolf frowned at her. "Never mind." As he closed the door behind them, Lindley glanced around the room, and then finally sat down on the nearby chair. "My arm got cut," she said to the healer. "I don't think it's too serious, but..." Her voice trailed off, as she wondered why she was feeling so calm. She should be freaking out; she should be crying and feeling out of control...

"You're shivering." Wolf removed a blanket from the bed and carefully draped it over Lindley's shoulders. "Are you cold?"

"Cold?" Lindley repeated dully. As if Wolf's words were some kind of trigger, she realised that she was shivering; even with the blanket covering her. What was wrong with her?

"I must take your arm so that I can heal you." The healer spoke calmly, and moved slowly as he carefully took Lindley's arm, pulling her hand away so that he could see the cut. "Were you attacked?" he asked Wolf as he passed his hand over the cut. "Have you spoken to the emperor about it?"

"Cain is going to report to him now," Wolf replied. "Can you help Lindley?"

"It's a small wound and within my powers to heal."

As the healer spoke, Lindley felt her arm growing hot. She gasped, and struggled to pull it free; but the healer seemed to be holding on too tight. Though it wasn't actually painful, the heat was certainly uncomfortable. And it seemed like forever before the heat finally faded and the healer let her go. She stared down at the now-unmarked skin of her arm, biting her lip.

"You should be more careful when there isn't a healer around," the healer said. "And perhaps it would be a good thing for the both of you to get some sleep now, all right? It's late, and it's not healthy to sleep too little."

"We just have something else to take care of first – and then we'll take your advice." Wolf took Lindley's hand and helped her to her feet. "Come on," he said, not sounding as short anymore. "Can you walk?"

Briefly, Lindley seriously thought about telling the healer that she was really worried about her health with Wolf. But what would he do to her, really? The world of Fire Emblem was completely different to Earth – so alien to her that she couldn't even imagine how things would work in this place.

"Thank you," Wolf said politely to the healer. "I'll bring the blanket back later."

"Don't worry about bringing it back if it's needed," the healer replied, straightening up. "I don't need the blanket."

Wolf bowed his head, and then guided Lindley out of the room, hand resting between her shoulder blades. "You should get some sleep now. We'll talk in the morning."

"I'm fine," Lindley replied automatically, wondering why she _wasn't_ feeling tired. It was late enough. "And we don't need to talk," she added.

"You're right – it's not talking we'll be doing." Wolf sounded rather grim as he opened the door to his room and pushed Lindley inside, closing the door behind them. "You lied and got yourself hurt. You could have been killed. Talking isn't something I'm going to be doing much of." Slowly, he advanced on Lindley.

"Wait a second..." Lindley backed away, holding her hands protectively in front of her. "You can't touch me. I'm not from your world... time. I don't know you, and it's not like you're related to me. You're not..." Her voice trailed off.

Wolf raised his eyebrows, but didn't advance any further. For what seemed like an eternity, he just studied her. Then, finally, he spoke. "Do you want to learn how to defend yourself?"

Lindley blinked, completely taken aback by the question. And her first inclination was to refuse. She couldn't see any way of her staying long enough inside the game to _need_ any kind of training. But just as she opened her mouth to tell him that, she remembered the soldier and the mage. They'd attacked so close to the castle... If something like that happened again, she couldn't rely on Wolf – or someone else – being there to protect her. "Wouldn't I be too old to learn?"

Apparently, getting wounded made her see things differently.

"Ideally, it would be better if you'd had training as a child," Wolf agreed. "But you're still young, and seem healthy. Given enough time, I'll be able to make you into a passable fighter."

"All right," Lindley said. How hard could it be, anyway? She'd seen plenty of films where the characters learned to fight really quickly. Obviously, films weren't true to life... but really, it couldn't be _that_ hard. "When will we start the training?"

"Tomorrow morning – early. So you'd better get plenty of sleep after we've finished here." Wolf put his bow to one side – leaning it against the wall – and then removed his quiver of arrows and laid that next to the bow. He then began rolling up his sleeves. "Come here."

"Uh... No. I think I'll stay over here, thank you very much."

"It'll be worse if I have to come and get you," Wolf said ominously.

"But I'm tired." Lindley gave a fake yawn. "If I have to get up early tomorrow morning, I'd rather go to bed now."

Moving faster than Lindley would have thought possible, Wolf lunged at her. Before Lindley could react, he was sitting on the bed and had her across his hard thighs. "Consider this your first lesson. Know when someone's stronger than you and you should surrender."

Lindley had never been in this position before, but that didn't stop her from recognising it. She tried to push herself up, but Wolf looped an arm over her waist and pulled her tightly against his body. "Okay, okay. Lesson learned. You can let me up now."

"I don't know what things are like where you come from, but here, spanking is a common punishment for badly behaved children – and adults, when the need arises." Wolf didn't raise his voice as he slipped his fingers into the waistband of Lindley's cotton trousers. "You lied to me and could have been hurt worse than you were – even killed. Personal safety is _not_ something you should ignore, and that is why you're being punished." He pulled Lindley's trousers to her knees with one sharp tug.

Lindley let out an indignant squeal, but found that she could only kick her legs – and they were hampered by her trousers. One of her arms was trapped at an awkward angle, while she had to use the other one to brace herself against the bed. "You can't do this!"

For answer, Wolf's hard hand landed on Lindley's bottom in a swat that took her breath away. The next swat landed directly on top of the first, and she sucked in a breath to scream.

"You can make as much noise as you like," Wolf offered as his hand continued to fall – now all over Lindley's bottom, in no discernable pattern. "I'm sure these sounds aren't uncommon in the castle."

In other words, there would be no help coming; no matter how loudly she screamed. Lindley squirmed over Wolf's lap as much as she could – surely she _had_ to be able to break his grip somehow. But no... It seemed Wolf was as solid and unyielding as rock. And all the while, her backside grew hotter and sorer.

Wolf increased the speed of the swats, until Lindley couldn't count the individual ones anymore. Her whole bottom just burned, and it didn't take long for tears to start falling.

Almost immediately, Wolf stopped the spanking and helped Lindley to her feet. "If you listen to what I tell you and don't lie, I won't need to do this again," he told her as she rubbed.

"You didn't need to do it in the first place," Lindley muttered. Glad that she wasn't wearing jeans, she pulled her trousers up and eased them over her aching behind; though she still winced.

"Get some rest. I'll wake you when it's time for you to start training." Wolf lightly touched her shoulder, and then stood up. "You can sleep in here. I'll stay outside the room." Not giving Lindley a chance to reply, he left the room and closed the door behind him.

Even though she wasn't feeling tired, Lindley stretched out on the bed – on her stomach. Within moments, she was asleep – emotionally drained by the events of the day.


End file.
